The tennis world, this SBOTOP writer included, awaits the prestigious French Open this coming week. While the qualifiers are already underway, the list of notable stars who are in doubt or have withdrawn from the tournament floods the French Open 2024 news headlines.
Because of this, the upcoming Roland Garros could be the most open Grand Slam tournament in recent memory, which is also why the French Open 2024 odds have been very lucrative coming into the tournament.
The list goes on
Stars like Jannik Sinner, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz all have question marks coming into Roland Garros, while Emma Raducanu has already withdrawn from the upcoming Grand Slam.
21-year-old Raducanu had withdrawn from the French Open just 24 hours before qualifying was due to start. Fortunately, the decision of the 2012 US Open champion to pass on the French Open was not because of an injury. Instead, she decided to give herself some time to focus on her fitness.
“It’s important for me to keep laying on the foundations, and I will use the time to do a healthy block before the grass and subsequent hard-court seasons to give myself a chance to keep fit for the rest of the year,” Raducanu stated.
Meanwhile, World No. 2, Jannik Sinner, has been slowed down by a hip injury that forced him to skip the recent Rome Open. Recent reports surfaced stating that the 22-year-old will only play in France if he’s 100 per cent from the get-go.
“At Roland Garros, I’ll only play if I’m 100 per cent and if there’s any doubt, we have to see,” said Sinner. “Some injuries can be prevented, some can’t. So far, we’ve done a great job; last year, I played a whole season without injuries, and also in this season so far.”
However, playing in the French Open could be enticing for the budding Italian, given the fact that a deep run in Paris could see him eclipse Djokovic as World No. 1.
Carlos Alcaraz, like Sinner, also missed the Rome Open due to injury, and his status for Paris was in serious doubt. However, recent reports state that the World No. 3 has recovered pretty well and will travel to the French capital ahead of playing the Roland-Garros!
This comes as great news for the sport as a whole. The tennis world saw back-to-back withdrawals from one of the game’s biggest talents. So, to have the World No. 3 back in action does nothing but elevate the competition, draw more eyes to Paris, and bring life to the rivalry of the sport’s Big 3 once again.
Lastly, the final boss, Djoker, surprised everyone by accepting a late wild card spot in the Geneva Open. The World No. 1 is currently headlining the clay courts in Switzerland in hopes of getting his groove back in time to defend his French Open title.
“The reason why I chose to come and play is because I feel like, at this moment, there is no better practice for me than match play,” said Djokovic. “I feel like I need more matches, even if it’s one match, two matches, three, four hopefully. It’s good for me, because that’s the way for me to try to find that kind of form that I need for Roland Garros.”
The soon-to-be 37-year-old’s decision took the extra step in preparation for Roland Garros, despite suffering a recent head injury in Italy last week. This just proves that his quest for his fourth French Open title shouldn’t be taken lightly, even amidst a rough 2024 season.
Nadal’s last dance
Nadal, the winningest player in French Open history, having won the Grand Slam a record 14 times, is set to bid farewell to the tournament he has made his own since his debut in 2005.
Fans and pundits alike will have their eyes locked on the 37-year-old if he decides to play.
“I’m going to play the tournament thinking that I can give my all, 100 per cent,” the Spanish legend stated after his exit from the Italian Open last week. “And if 100 per cent is not enough to win a match, I’ll accept that. But I don’t want to step onto court knowing that I have no chance. If there’s a 0.01 per cent chance, I want to explore that and give it a go.” Due to injuries, the former World No. 1 has only played 15 matches since January of last year. But despite lacking body of work in the 2024 season, Nadal was still flocked by supporters, 6,000 strong, during his training session on Court Philippe Chatrier earlier this week, which just highlights how much the legacy of the 37-year-old has been embedded in Roland Garros.
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